Underarm crutch

ABSTRACT

An underarm crutch having tubular side frame members, a tubular underarm support, and a handgrip and center leg element adjustably mounted on and between said side frame members. The side frame members are angularly movable relative to each other to disengage said handgrip and center leg element so that they may be moved to different positions, and to re-engage said handgrip and center leg element so that they may be secured in said different positions.

United States Patent 1191 Thomas 1 1 Jan. 7, 1975 1 1 UNDERARM CRUTCH [75] inventor: Morton 1. Thomas, Monroe, NY.

[73] Assignee: Temco Products Inc., Passaic, NJ.

[22] Filfidi July 13, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 379,055

[52] US. Cl 135/50, 135/51, 135/52 [51] Int. Cl A6lh 3/02 [58] Field of Search 135/49, 50, 51,52

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,157,314 10/1915 Le Compte et a1 135/52 1,209,997 12/1916 Pettingill 135/51 1,332,642 3/1920 Tarbell 135/52 2,197,279 4/1940 Thorssen 135/49 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS I 722,428 11/1965 Canada 135/50 Prirriary Examiner-Pau1 R. Gilliam Assistant Examine/David H. Corbin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sto11 and Stoll [57] ABSTRACT An underarm crutch having tubular side frame member's, a tubular underarm support, and a handgrip and center leg element adjustably mounted on and between said side frame members. The side frame members are angularly movable relative to each other to disengage said handgrip and center leg element so that they may be moved to different positions, and to reengage said handgrip and center leg element so that they may be secured in said different positions.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures UNDERARM CRUTCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to underarm crutches which require adjustment to adapt to the individual needs of different users.

2. Description of the Prior Art Adjustable underarm crutches are known. However, in all cases, to the best of applicants knowledge and belief, the underarm support is rigidly secured to the side frame members. Since adjustment of the crutch height or of the position of the handgrip usually requires some measure of relative movement between the side frame members (to re-set the center leg element or handgrip), such relative movement tends to weaken the rigid connection between said side frame members and the underarm support. In no underarm crutch known toapplicant is the underarm support locked permanently in place on the side frame members while allowing said side frame members to move angularly relative to each other for adjustment of the center leg element and the handgrip.

SUMMARY OF TI-IEINVENTION The principal feature of this invention resides in the locking means which securely attaches the underarm support to the side frame members while enabling said side frame members to engage in relative angular movement for height or handgrip adjustment purposes. When the crutch is fully assembled and set up for use, its several components are rigidly secured to each other. When it is desired to adjust the length (height) of the crutch or the height of the handgrip (in relation to the underarm support), two fastening members are detached and the side frame members are thereby released for relative angular movement without weakening their connection with the underarm support. The side frame members may be swung apart and the center leg element and handgrip (either or both) may be raised or lowered in accordance with the individual requirements of the user. The side frame members may then be swung back to their original positions, and when the fastening elements are re-attached, the crutch is fully assembled in adjusted condition, ready for use. The underarm support remains securely fastened to the side frame members.

In the present invention, the side frame members and the underarm support are made of metal tubing, preferably but not necessarily aluminum. A lighter metal such as magnesium or a magnesium alloy may be used, or a heavier metal such as steel. In all cases, however, the metal should be substantially malleable, since it is this property or characteristic which lies at the foundation of the present invention. More particularly, the tubular side frame members are inserted through a pair of properly spaced holes into the tubular underarm support. The inwardly projecting ends of said tubular side frame members are then expanded to the extent necessary to lock said side frame members and said underarm support together. However, sufficient clearance is provided within the underarm support holes to enable the side frame members to engage in relative angular movement. Such relative angular movement is required in order to move the side frame members apart sufficiently to adjust the center leg element and the hand-. grip to selected positions. Such relative angular movement is further necessary in order to enable the side frame members to swing back toward each other and into engagement with the center leg element and the handgrip. This relative angular movement in either direction is structurally feasible without weakening the connection between the side frame members and the underarm support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view of an assembled underarm crutch made in accordance with the principles of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a partly exploded view showing said crutch with its side frame members swung away from each other to disengage the center leg element and the handgrip.

' FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the underarm support, taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is another enlarged longitudinal section through said underarm support, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged prospective view of the handgrip.

FIG. 7 is a transverse section on the line 7-7 of FIG. 1'

FIG. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the details of the invention as illustrated in the drawing, it will be seen that underarm crutch 10, which exemplifies the present invention, comprises the following component parts: a pair of side frame members 12 and 14, an underarm support 16, a handgrip 18, a center leg portion 20, and a pair of fastening elements such as bolts 22 and thumb nuts 24. The side frame elements, the underann support and the center leg element are all made of metal tubing, preferably but not necessarily aluminum. A lighter metal such as magnesium or a magnesium alloy may also be used in order to lighten the weight of the crutch. Alternatively, steel tubing may be used for added strength, although, possibly, at the expense of additional weight. In all cases, however, the metal must be malleable, at least to the extent necessary to lock the underarm support to the upper ends of the side frame members by the means or method hereinafter described.

When the crutch is fully assembled, it will be noted that the side frame members 12 and 14 bow outwardly intermediate their respective end portions, and their lower ends converge toward and into engagement with the center leg element 20. The lower converging ends of the side frame members are deformed to provide concentric inner and outer walls 15 and 15a, respectively, the inner wall 15 forming a concavely shaped seat for the center leg element 20. Bolts 22, passing through holes 26 in the side frame members and holes 28 in the center leg element, lock said side frame members to said center leg element as FIGS. 1 and 7 clearly show. A plurality of holes are formed in the center leg element 20, so that the center leg element may be adjusted longitudinally relative to the side frame members. The drawing shows six such holes 28 for three levels of adjustment, but this is purely illustrative.

It will be observed that handgrip 18 is provided with a pair of pins or studs 30 extending from opposite ends thereof in coaxial relationship. These pins or studs 30 are non-circular in cross-section, for example, they may have square cross-sections, as FIG. 6 of the drawing clearly shows. Each side frame member 12, 14 is provided with a series of correspondingly shaped holes 32 which are adapted to receive and engage pins or studs 30 and prevent them and the handgrip itself from rotating. This is shown in FIG. of the drawing, wherein seven square holes 32 are shown formed on the inner face of side frame member 14. As will be understood, holes 32 are of a size and shape to accommodate one of the pins or studs 30 in order to support the handgrip on the side frame members while preventing the handgrip from rotating about its own longitudinal axis relative to the two side frame members.

When the two side frame members are swung apart as shown in FIG. 2, pins or studs 30 are disengaged from holes 32 and the handgrip may be moved to the proper height for a particular user. When the side frame members are swung toward each other, as shown in FIG. 1, pins or studs 30 will engage the appropriate holes 32, and the handgrip will thereby be locked in place at the desired height. Nothing is required to lock the handgrip in place between the side frame members except to secure the lower converging ends of the side frame members to the center leg element 20 by means of bolts 22 and nuts 24. This will be apparent from FIG. 8 of the drawing.

Referring now to the connections between the upper ends of the side frame membersand the underarm support, it will be observed that the underarm support is downwardly curved, to form a generally convex lower wall 16a and generally concave upper wall 16b. Since the underarm support is made of tubing, preferably, but not necessarily, cylindrical, the lower convex wall 16a and the upper concave wall 16b are, of course, continuous with each other.

A pair of holes 40 are formed in the lower convex wall 16a of the underarm support, and these holes are spaced to receive the upper ends of said frame members 12 and 14. Sufficient clearance is provided for said side frame members in holes 40 to enable the side frame members to move angularly relative to each other and relative to the underarm support, as FIG. 2 clearly shows. The side frame members are free to swing apart from their FIG. 1 to their FIG. 2 position, and they are equally free to swing back from their FIG. 2 to their FIG. 1 position.

In order to lock the side frame members permanently to the underarm support, while permitting said side frame members to move angularly relative to each other in the manner above described, the following procedure is utilized: A forming tool is driven into each of the inwardly projecting ends of the side frame members to deform same in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 3 and4. More particularly, the inwardly projecting ends of said side frame members are deformed or expanded to provide rounded embossments 12a and 14a, respectively. The precise shape of these embossments is not critical, but what is necessary is that they effectively increase the cross-sectional dimensions of the inwardly projecting ends of the side frame members to the extent necessary to prevent their withdrawal from holes 40. The result is a secure connection between the side frame members and the underarm support, but the side frame members remain free to engage in relative angular movement for the adjustment purposes of the handgrip l8 and center leg element 20 above described. The use of a forming tool (such as a punch with a rounded point) provides a simple, quick and inexpensive means of deforming the inwardly projecting ends of the side frame members and thereby perma-.

nently securing them to the underarm support.

To finish off the underarm support, and to render it more comfortable for the user, it may be covered with a plastic sleeve 42. Plastic caps 44 may also be used to close the ends of the underarm support and to round off its edges. The invention is obviously not limited to the specific method of interconnecting caps 44 with sleeve 42 shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing.

The foregoing is illustrative of a preferred form of the present invention, and it will be understood that this form may be modified and other forms may be provided within the broad scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An underarm crutch comprising:

a. a pair of side frame members spaced from each other at their upper ends and converging toward each other at their lower ends;

b. an underarm support mounted on said upper ends of said side frame members;

c. means securing said underarm support to said side frame members but allowing said side frame members to move angularly relative to each other;

(1. a center leg element mounted between said converging lower ends of said side frame members and extending downwardly therefrom;

e. means adjustably and detachably securing said center leg element to said side frame members;

f. a handgrip mounted on said side frame members above their converging lower ends; and

g. means adjustably and detachably securing said handgrip to said side frame members,

h. said underarm support comprising a tubular memher,

i. said tubular underarm member being downwardly curved along its longitudinal axis to define a concavely curved upper wall and a convexly curved lower wall,

j. said concavely curved upper wall defining an underarm saddle,

k. a pair of holes being formed in the convexly curved lower wall of the tubular underarm member,

l. the upper ends of the side frame members projecting into said tubular underarm member through said holes,

m. means attaching said upper ends of the side frame members to said tubular underarm member,

n. said side frame members being formed of malleable metal tubing,

0. those portions of the upper ends of the side frame members which project into said tubular underarm member being transversely deformed to enlarge their cross-sectional dimensions to the extent necessary to prevent separation of said tubular underarm member from said side frame members,

p. sufficient clearance being provided for the upper ends of the side frame members in their respective holes in the tubular underarm member to enable said side frame members to engage in relative angular movement toward and away from each other and into and out of engagement with the handgrip when their converging lower ends are detached from the center leg element,

q. said handgrip being provided with a pair of supporting pins extending from opposite ends thereof in coaxial relationship, and

r. said side frame members being provided with a plurality of opposed, horizontally aligned holes formed therein to engage said handgrip pins, and thereby to attach the handgrip to the side frame members,

s. each of said side frame members being provided with a plurality of such holes spaced vertically therein and registering horizontally with the corresponding holes of the other of said side frame members in facing relationship,

t. said side frame members being angularly movable away from each other, when detached from the center leg element, to disengage the handgrip pins from one pair of horizontally registering holes,

wherein:

a. the handgrip pins are non-circular in cross-section,

and

b. the holes formed in the side frame members are of corresponding non-circular configuration,

c. whereby engagement of said non-circular pins with said non-circular holes prevents rotation of the handgrip in said side frame members. 

1. An underarm crutch comprising: a. a pair of side frame members spaced from each other at their upper ends and converging toward eacH other at their lower ends; b. an underarm support mounted on said upper ends of said side frame members; c. means securing said underarm support to said side frame members but allowing said side frame members to move angularly relative to each other; d. a center leg element mounted between said converging lower ends of said side frame members and extending downwardly therefrom; e. means adjustably and detachably securing said center leg element to said side frame members; f. a handgrip mounted on said side frame members above their converging lower ends; and g. means adjustably and detachably securing said handgrip to said side frame members, h. said underarm support comprising a tubular member, i. said tubular underarm member being downwardly curved along its longitudinal axis to define a concavely curved upper wall and a convexly curved lower wall, j. said concavely curved upper wall defining an underarm saddle, k. a pair of holes being formed in the convexly curved lower wall of the tubular underarm member, l. the upper ends of the side frame members projecting into said tubular underarm member through said holes, m. means attaching said upper ends of the side frame members to said tubular underarm member, n. said side frame members being formed of malleable metal tubing, o. those portions of the upper ends of the side frame members which project into said tubular underarm member being transversely deformed to enlarge their cross-sectional dimensions to the extent necessary to prevent separation of said tubular underarm member from said side frame members, p. sufficient clearance being provided for the upper ends of the side frame members in their respective holes in the tubular underarm member to enable said side frame members to engage in relative angular movement toward and away from each other and into and out of engagement with the handgrip when their converging lower ends are detached from the center leg element, q. said handgrip being provided with a pair of supporting pins extending from opposite ends thereof in coaxial relationship, and r. said side frame members being provided with a plurality of opposed, horizontally aligned holes formed therein to engage said handgrip pins, and thereby to attach the handgrip to the side frame members, s. each of said side frame members being provided with a plurality of such holes spaced vertically therein and registering horizontally with the corresponding holes of the other of said side frame members in facing relationship, t. said side frame members being angularly movable away from each other, when detached from the center leg element, to disengage the handgrip pins from one pair of horizontally registering holes, u. said side frame members being angularly movable toward each other for reattachment to said center leg element and for engagement of said handgrip pins with another pair of horizontally registering holes, v. whereby the handgrip pins are selectively engageable with said horizontally registering holes for height-adjustment of said handgrip.
 2. An underarm crutch in accordance with claim 1, wherein: a. the handgrip pins are non-circular in cross-section, and b. the holes formed in the side frame members are of corresponding non-circular configuration, c. whereby engagement of said non-circular pins with said non-circular holes prevents rotation of the handgrip in said side frame members. 